Beautiful Soul
by Aldara Gaea
Summary: It's Ron's birthday, hooray! But is it the worst birthday he's ever had, or the best? And it seems that he won't be the only one getting a present on this special day... One off, song fic for those HR fans among you.


**Here's my other favourite ship – Hermione and Ron! I was sooooo thrilled with the end of HP7: I think I would have DIED if they hadn't ended up together. Anyway, I have two H/R song fics, both of which I really love and both of which I'll post on here. I really can't decide which one is my favourite, so I'll just see which gets the better reaction – that means review!!**

_**The lyrics are Jesse McCartney's "Beautiful Soul"**_** and none of the characters belong to me, I'm merely borrowing from the brilliant JK Rowling. **

**Beautiful Soul**

"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthdaaaay dear Ro-oooonnnn…" Everyone sang in loud and over exuberant voices, "Haaappy Biiiiirthdaaaaay toooo yooooooooouuu!!!!!!" 

Ron laughed along with the rest at the end of the song. Today was his 17th birthday, and he couldn't have been much happier. He, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and the twins were all crammed around the table with his mother and father hovering in the background. 

"Hip hip – Hooray!! Hip hip – Hooray!!" they all cheered. 

Hermione was sitting next to him and he caught her eye for a moment, obviously longer than he realized.

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

"C'mon Ron! Blow out the candles already!" called Fred. 

Ron faced the cake, glowing with unmeltable candles, took a deep breath and blew them out all at once. Again everyone cheered and the lights flicked on. 

"Here's the knife, dear," said Mrs. Weasley over the noise, handing him a knife to cut the cake. 

"Are you sure you're not going to cut yourself ickle Ronnikins?" George mocked and for once Ron felt good enough to ignore the hated nickname while everyone else chuckled. 

He placed the tip of the knife carefully in the centre of the cake and pushed it down deftly, still watching Hermione's face out of the corner of his eye.

_You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I wont let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

The twins gave a simultaneous gasp and the whole room went silent. 

"Did you see that Fred?" 

"I think so George!" 

"Do you think we should make sure, or just tell him the news straight out?" 

"I think it was a definite hit!" replied George after a dramatic pause to think, "Better tell him quick." 

"What are you two on about?" Ron asked, perplexed. The twins shared a devious grin. 

"You touched the bottom…" 

"… so now…" 

"… you have to…" 

"… kiss the closest girl," they finished in unison. 

Ron's eyes bugged a little and he felt Hermione stiffen beside him. It had been a tradition when they were kids that if you touched the bottom when you cut the cake you had to kiss the nearest girl, or in Ginny's case – the nearest boy. But as this had almost always been their mother, Ron had never seen it as a problem. 

"C'mon mate – its tradition!" said George, while Fred wolf-whistled loudly. Ron looked to his parents, who both shrugged with mock-rueful smiles, then to Hermione who was still standing stock still in her place.

_I know that you are something special  
To you I'd be always faithful  
I want to be what you always needed  
Then I hope you'll see the heart in me_

Hermione looked slowly up into Ron's eyes and they remained motionless, for what must have been a long time. Thoughts were whizzing through Ron's head, chasing each other endlessly until he thought he'd go mad, but still he didn't move. 

"Aw, come on Ron!" Fred finally broke the silence. "From what we heard, they would've had trouble separating you from that Lavender girl with a nesting dragon, and you can't even give your best friend a quick kiss!" 

Instantly, the whole room knew he'd gone too far. Ron watched helplessly as Hermione's eyes quickly filled with tears, her expression turning rapidly from shock to hurt and she suddenly turned and ran for the back door. 

"Hermione!" Ron called to the banging door

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I wont let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

Ron stood stock still and Ginny jumped up with a hiss. He felt like he had suddenly been detached from his body and a terrible realization ran through him, so piercing that it resounded through his mind like a bell. He could hear the voices of the others and they echoed strangely as he listened. 

"Nice one Fred!!" Ginny exclaimed vehemently, her face pink. "You just couldn't leave the situation alone could you?" 

She looked like she would've jumped on Fred and pummel him senseless if Harry hadn't had a firm grip around her waist. 

"I didn't know she'd go and run off like that did I?" Fred retorted hotly. 

"Someone should go see if she's alright," Mrs. Weasley commented quietly.

_Your beautiful soul, yeah_

Ginny instantly volunteered and Harry too only a beat later. 

"No," said Ginny in response to Harry, "I think I'd better." 

"But I'm her friend too remember," Harry retorted. Ginny sighed and shook her head. 

"Yes," she said exasperatedly, "but…" 

"No." 

Everyone looked up. It was Ron that had spoken. He still hadn't moved and no one had noticed that he'd been listening to them all. Once again everyone was hushed as they waited for him to continue. 

"No, I think I'd better go," he sighed and looked up. "It's about time we talked." No one tried to argue with him; they could see by the resolute glint in his eye that it would be pointless. 

Outside the sun was on its way down. The overgrown garden presented a number of places Hermione could be hiding, but Ron already knew where she'd be.  
In the far corner of the garden was a strong old tree. It had a pair of wood and rope swings and Ron had noticed from summers past that Hermione liked to swing on them when she wanted to think. As he neared the tree he could hear her sobbing and self disgust almost overwhelmed him. He passed the last bushes hiding him from her view and stopped in silence. 

She was curled up between two encircling roots of the tree her face hidden in her arms and her body shaking with sobs. Ron's heart yearned for her and he took a step forward, snapping a twig as he did so. 

Her head snapped up at the sudden sound. He sought her tearstained eyes and held them for a moment and surprise flashed on her face before she shook her head and looked away. 

"What do you want?" she said in a shaky voice. 

"I…"

_You might need time to think it over  
But I'm just fine moving forward  
I'll ease your mind  
If you give me the chance  
I will never make you cry c'mon lets try_

Hermione shook her head again. 

"Please leave me alone," she told him painfully. 

Ron felt his ears burn and he shook his head. 

"No," he replied and moved toward her, "we need to talk." 

He sat down next to her and she tried to avoid his gaze. 

"Hermione," his voice wavered a little, "I… I'm sorry." 

She looked at him again. Her eyes were wide again and she hid the look quickly under cover of dashing the tears from her face with her sleeve. 

"W-What do you mean?" she stuttered. Ron smiled ruefully. 

"I'm sorry about what happened just then," he began and stopped her when she started to object. 

"No, 'Mione let me finish. I'm sorry for being an insensitive prat. I'm sorry for all the mean things I say to you and I'm most especially sorry for… last year." His ears and neck burned with renewed fervour. 

Tears again poured down Hermione's face and her head was moving from side to side vigorously. 

"You have nothing to be sorry about Ron, you–" 

"No! I do and I am!" he said fiercely. He caught her face in his hands and brushed the tears away with his thumbs. 

"I acted very selfishly last year, and the truth is that I didn't even really enjoy any of it." Hermione snorted derisively. 

"Hermione," he pulled her eyes to look into his own. "It wouldn't have mattered if it was Lavender Brown, Eloise Midgen or Fleur Delacoure I was with, because there was only one person I was really thinking about… and that was you"

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I wont let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

Hermione gave a half laugh half sob and suddenly threw herself into his arms. Ron was shocked but instinctively wrapped his arms about her. She fit into his body like she was made to be there. Her face buried into his chest and he laid his head on hers stroking her back soothingly. 

"Do – do you really mean that Ron?" she asked in a muffled tone and looked up into his face. "Even Eloise, with the off-centre nose?" Ron chuckled. 

"Even Eloise with the off-centre nose," he agreed fervently and brushed the tears away again. 

She leaned into his hand, closing her eyes with a small smile and a sigh. His hand trailed up into her hair and her eyes stared into his once more. Ron moved his face closer. 

"You know what else?" he asked softly. 

"What?" she whispered. The gap between their faces reduced slowly. 

"I think… I…" he trailed off as his lips met hers. 

He kissed her gently and painfully slow, she tasted like salty tears and sweet strawberries. He pulled away marginally and Hermione groaned against his mouth. Her arms snaked round his neck and she pulled him closer again, kissing him passionately. 

Ron was ready for her reaction and he returned her enthusiasm. After a moment he slid out his tongue and ran it along her bottom lip invitingly. She opened her mouth without a thought and she seemed determined to swallow him from the inside.

_Am I crazy for wanting you  
Baby do you think you could want me too  
I don't wanna waste your time  
Do you see things the way I do  
I just wanna know that you feel it too  
There is nothing left to hide_

Ron reluctantly pulled away from Hermione and both took deep shuddering breaths. He noticed that her face was flushed and her hair mussed, which he smoothed lovingly. Neither's eyes left the other's face for one second. 

"Ron," Hermione eventually whispered. 

"Yes 'Mione?" 

"I… Why did you… you know, go with Lavender last year?" she looked down and blushed delicately. 

Ron could feel his own ears burn a little but he was determined to answer her. 

"I'm not really sure why I did it," he said slowly. "She just sort of came at me and…" he looked down into her eyes, "I think I wanted to make you a little jealous."

Hermione's eyes widened a little at his admission, then suddenly kissed him softly. 

"Well, I'm almost glad you did," she said mischievously, "at least I didn't have to put up with you when you had no idea how to snog!" 

Ron returned her devious grin and pulled her back to him. 

"Are you sure I don't need a bit more practice?" he asked slyly, before he locked her to him again.

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I wont let another minute go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul_

Suddenly a twig snapped and the two broke apart instantly. A stifled chuckle was audible from one side and they turned around to find Harry and Ginny standing no more than ten feet away. They must have had a particularly guilty look on their faces, as Ginny burst out laughing and no doubt would have toppled to the ground if a chuckling Harry hadn't been standing right next to her. 

"I… I can't believe… believe how slow you… two are!" 

Hermione raised her eyebrows at her hysterical friend then turned back to Ron, to find his ears and neck glowing incessantly. 

"I think we might want to go find somewhere else to talk Ron," she said with a coy smile. 

Ron stood slowly and helped Hermione to her feet. They linked hands and walked away from Harry and Ginny. When they were a safe distance away, Ron flopped to the ground and pulled Hermione into his lap. She nibbled at his still hot ears. 

"You look so cute when you're embarrassed Ron," she whispered.

_I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
You're the one I wanna chase  
You're the one I wanna hold  
I wont let another minute go to waste_

He grunted in a surly kind of way. Easy for her to say, he thought. Hermione seemed to sense his unease, and she turned his head to face hers.

"What's wrong?" she asked gently. 

Ron shrugged and stared into her eyes. 

"We're never going to hear the end of this you know," he replied softly. "They'll all be taking the mickey out of us and trying to interrupt when we're alone." He sighed. "I'm just a little sick of being the goofball." 

Hermione giggled and kissed him. 

"You know what Ron?" 

"What?" Ron asked resignedly. 

"It was the goofball that I fell for." 

Ron smiled slowly and kissed her passionately. They were so immersed in each other that they didn't notice when Harry and Ginny walked past, or even Fred and George not long after. All that mattered was that they were together, and nothing could take that away. 

When they eventually broke apart, it was semi dark and growing cold. Ron wrapped his arms around Hermione, who snuggled into him with a small sigh. He conjured a blanket and tucked it tight around their huddled forms and leant against the bush behind him. They breathed in time, chests rising and falling to a common beat of the night. 

"Hermione," Ron whispered. Hermione mumbled a reply and he kissed her on the forehead.

_I want you and your soul  
I don't want another pretty face  
I don't want just anyone to hold  
I don't want my love to go to waste  
I want you and your beautiful soul  
ooooooo  
Beautiful Soul, yeah  
oooooo, yeah  
Your beautiful soul  
yeah_

"I love you."


End file.
